Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Amos was a common man from a little village who was powerfully used by God to remind the Jewish people to stay focused upon God who is ALWAYS with them. He points out that God is not only aware of their sins, but also that His people often tend to forget the many times God has forgiven them and delivered them from evil. Sadly, Amos also points out that righteous judgments and discipline are often the result of the choices made by His people. This message is further reinforced in the Psalms where sinful actions and consequences are detailed for those who choose to “never think of God”.

It is so easy for us to fall into this same trap in the fast paced world we live in. Are we really aware of God’s presence with us each hour of every day? Do our thoughts, words and actions really grasp that God is constantly beside us? I look at the horrible list of sins Amos mentioned and tend to think that I am really not that bad. But are my quick judgments, unkind thoughts and words, and my inability to see the needs of all those God has placed in my life any different? In reality, they are each simply a symptom of my inability to maintain my focus upon Jesus.

How is it that despite our best intentions at the start of each new day, we find it so difficult to maintain our focus upon our triune God? We follow worldly influences that we know will lead to pain and suffering and, exactly like the Jewish people of Amos’ time, forget all the times throughout our lives when God brought us through difficult times and blessed us in spite of our endless wandering and worrying.

Amos reminds us that each of us has the power to make a difference, to be used by God. As Jesus powerfully points out in Matthew 8, following Jesus must be our focus, every second of every day - above all else. That directive certainly makes sense for us today, as keeping our focus upon Him leads us to incredible peace and joy, well beyond anything we could possible imagine.